Mexico to Free up 600MHz Band for 5G by Q1 2019

Mexico is set to complete the liberalization of spectrum in the 600MHz band for 5G services by the first quarter of 2019, according to communications regulator IFT. The announcement comes after the watchdog earlier this year approved the reallocation of 48 channels using radio frequencies between 614MHz and 698MHz to DTT. The migration will see the channels continue operating in the UHF band under channel 37, said the IFT.

In March the country activated the first phase of the ‘Red Compartida’ network in the 700MHz band. The wholesale 4G shared network covered around 32 percent of the country’s population on 31 March and the aim is to expand it to 50 percent of the population by 2020 and to 92.5 percent by 2024.